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Day five.

By today, I felt I was riding my luck regarding my permission to indulge in butterflies, so northwards, and beachwards we headed, with no idea, other than "I wonder what it's like there" (pointing to map)....... took us a long time to reach "there", but turned out to be a virtually deserted beachfront at Santova. So while my wife chose the beach, I walked up what turned out to be the mouth of the Rindomo Gorge.... a rather untidy dry river bed and dusty road, but rather pretty views all the same.
I had noticed the Long Tailed Blues preferred the coastline Broomes and sure enough, they were present in small numbers, and more accessible than previously found. However the only half decent image was this Small Copper..

After a couple of "nearlys" and frustratingly short of photos on this very hot morning, I saw a dark Skipper land on a wall side ahead. The shot that followed seemed more reminiscent of what the books said was Mediterranean Skipper.... surely not, to add to Pigmy Skipper earlier....
Well, later on I had better opportunity and upper wing shot... what do you think?
The LTBs had been elusive, but as I find often happens... eventually the perfect opportunity somehow presents itself, this time with a beautiful female, posing, well, beautifully....
After walking a little way up the Gorge, not as far as I would have liked, a U turn was made, back to the beach. A beach-bar was manned by a single bloke who explained he hadn't really opened for the season yet.... but we got much needed drinks anyway.

So, we moved on.... Back towards the mountains, this time to a place called Tseria. This place was, literally, perched on the side of the Viros Gorge. The car had to be left before the village, which was tiny and as usual, deserted. Southern Commas sailed up and down the road, ceaselessly, but further on, a dark shape emerged from the shade.. Lattice Brown again. Eventually one behaved again beautifully, on a telegraph pole which was a rather bland surface for the photo... never mind!.
We walked into the gorge, just far enough to admire the sheer drop a long, long way immediately to the right of the descending two foot wide path. I don't do heights well, and we didn't venture very far . Another Southern Grayling appeared. Wait... no, this one's odd. It sailed past gliding as it went, displaying a dark large upper side with dusky pale post discal banding, almost blue in hue..... absolutely gorgeous! .... It came back and settled.... I would be very surprised if this one wasn't an Eastern Rock Grayling. It sadly did not allow an upperwing shot.
Another good day, possibly two brand new species and an open winged LTB ambition achieved... now for the male !!
Daylist Day five.

Swallowtail
Scarce Swallowtail
Small White
Eastern Bath White
Clouded Yellow
Cleopatra
Small Copper
Long Tailed Blue
Holly Blue
Common Blue
Southern White Admiral
Painted Lady
Southern Comma
Eastern Rock Grayling
Meadow Brown
Small Heath
Wall
Lattice Brown
Mallow Skipper
Lulworth Skipper
Small Skipper
Large Skipper
Mediterranean Skipper

At the end of all this, one insect is still "bugging" me...... ID would be gratefully received, ?? Ant Lion relatives? - they were all over the place.

Hi Paul - I think this is the adult Antlion. See:

http://www.naturephoto-cz.com/spoonwing ... 10518.html

Cheers,

- Pete

Thanks Pete.... absolutely !

Day six. Final day

Our last full day. Having still not broken the tree line, I was keen to explore another mountain road, so we made tracks for Anatolico, at 650m, for a long upward walk towards higher places. The scenery changed from country lane to Olive Groves, with an abundance of wild flowers and beehives ( if that's where all the Greek Honey comes from then I'm a convert )
... and finally up into more bare "alpine" terrain. Made it to 1120m.
Near the top, a patch of thistles gave me my first ever view of a Cardinal Fritillary, which sadly left before I took even a record shot... why was I so slow??
Still, despite avidly surveying the path, very little new appeared Finally a Baton Blue, well vicrama, showed itself...... agonizingly all my photos of this species new to me were out of focus. never saw another one.
There were some successes though. A photographable Wood White early on...
A relatively pristine Scarce Swallowtail, which I did manage to focus !
A small tree just to the side of the path, quite high up was populated by about a dozen Nettle Tree Butterflies, which were very well behaved....
A Common Blue..
Brown Argus..
Then a male Long Tailed Blue ... but tatty as could be
Eventually something else new for the trip... I was really hoping for Lesser Spotted, but I think this is merely a Spotted Fritillary... couldn't get very close...
Finally, when back in dappled shade of wooded country lane, two Skippers jostled for dominance, in between times being rather well behaved... an underwing Orbed Red Underwing view...
and another Oriental Marbled......
So, the final day's species list was....

Swallowtail
Scarce Swallowtail
Black Veined White
Large White
Small White
Eastern Bath White
Clouded Yellow
Cleopatra
Wood White
Ilex Hairstreak
Green Hairstreak
Small Copper
Long Tailed Blue
Holly Blue
Eastern Baton Blue
Brown Argus
Chapman's Blue
Common Blue
Nettle Tree Butterfly
Southern White Admiral
Large Tortoiseshell
Painted Lady
Southern Comma
Cardinal
Spotted Fritillary
Glanville Fritillary
Southern Grayling
Meadow Brown
Small Heath
Speckled Wood
Wall
Large Wall
Orbed Red Underwing Skipper
Oriental Marbled Skipper
Small Skipper
Large Skipper

Pretty good holiday all in all

A wonderful and inspiring account of the ups and downs of butterflying in a foreign field , with superb photos and made all the more impressive by the fact that it was done on-the-hoof. I salute you

Cheers,

Vince

To return to the Nemoptera, I think you have the other, rarer, Greek species, Nemoptera coa. See: http://www.entomologiitaliani.net/publi ... f=21&t=229.

Thanks for the endorsement Vince, really appreciated.

Mikhail, that's interesting, more than one type eh, they were absolutely everywhere, and quite beautiful.

All in all, I saw 54 different butterfly species, 15 not photographed. 13 species were new to me, only one, Cardinal, missed photography. Below are the species with the relative frequency added, those new to me in bold....

Grizzled skipper - single one seen higher altitude
Orbed Red Underwing Skipper - small numbers at several sites medium altitude
Mallow Skipper - several individuals shore to medium altitude
Oriental Marbled Skipper - small numbers at several sites medium altitude
Lulworth Skipper - frequent in several places medium altitude
Small Skipper - everywhere
Large Skipper - 2 seen at different sites medium altitude
Mediterranean Skipper - 1 or 2 at single shore- level site
Pigmy Skipper - single one seen medium altitude
Swallowtail - frequent at all levels
Scarce Swallowtail - frequent at all levels
Southern Festoon - single one seen higher altitude
Black Veined White - common at medium altitude
Large White - common at medium altitude
Small White - everywhere
Southern Small White - difficult to say, mixing with Small White
Mountain Small White - one seen higher altitude
Green-veined White - one seen higher altitude
Eastern Bath White - frequent at all levels
Orange Tip - single individuals in flight in two places
Clouded Yellow - frequent at all levels
Brimstone - at least one, lower altitude
Cleopatra - frequent at all levels
Wood White - 2 seen at different sites medium altitude
Sloe Hairstreak - frequent at medium altitudes
Ilex Hairstreak - common at medium altitudes
Blue Spot Hairstreak - single one seen medium altitude
Green Hairstreak - 2 seen at different sites medium altitude
Small Copper - a few seen, from shore to higher altitude
Long Tailed Blue - frequent at shore level, less so but present at medium altitude
Geranium Bronze - 2 seen at different sites shore to medium altitude
Lang's Short Tailed Blue - single one seen medium altitude
Eastern Baton Blue - single one seen highest altitude
Brown Argus - frequent at medium altitudes
Chapman's Blue - 2 seen at same site medium altitude
Holly Blue - frequent at shore to medium altitudes
Common Blue - frequent at medium altitudes
Nettle Tree Butterfly - seen in several places, in good numbers
Southern White Admiral - individuals at almost every venue, medium altitude
White Admiral - single one seen at medium altitude
Large Tortoiseshell - several single ones seen at several places at medium altitude
Painted Lady - several single ones seen at several places at medium altitude
Southern Comma - frequent at medium altitudes
Cardinal - single one at higher altitude
Queen of Spain Fritillary - 2 seen at different sites medium altitude
Glanville Fritillary - common at medium altitude
Spotted Fritillary - single one at medium altitude
Eastern Rock Grayling - single one at medium altitude
Southern Grayling - several single ones seen at several places at medium altitude
Meadow Brown - common
Small Heath - frequent at medium to higher altitudes
Speckled Wood - 2 seen at different sites medium altitude
Wall - frequent at medium altitudes
Large Wall - common at medium altitudes
Lattice Brown - several seen at different sites at medium altitude



Those I didn't see, but wanted to, included Bavius Blue, Blue Argus, Eastern and Gruner's Orange Tips Kreuper's Small White, Southenr Swallowtail, Oriental Meadow Brown, etc etc etc - still, got to have reasons to go back